One80: Testimonies of Transformation
Be inspired by stories of Christian transformation from around the world--and next door! Hear miraculous coming-to-Jesus stories from all walks of life and be amazed at how God writes a story in all of us. One80 is a production of OneWay Ministries.
One80: Testimonies of Transformation
104: Cigarettes and Stilettos, Tweeny Randall, Part 2 (Sikhism, marriage)
Tweeny Randall’s powerful One80 starts with her growing up in the Sikh culture in Brussels. We slowly hear how the brokenness felt in her family of origin gave root to an identity crisis that made itself known in attention seeking and substance abuse of her own.
As an adult Tweeny would continue this misguided lifestyle, but her world shattered with her mother’s illness. Alcohol came in and a stable marriage went out. In her utter depravity a caring friend’s request for help, an invitation to church, and a message from God directed right at Tweeny begins her journey to Jesus.
Part 2:
See how the Bible transforms Tweeny and helps her truly repent. Her marriage to Will was in total shambles but see how Tweeny becomes a prayer warrior and then watch God do a miracle.
This is an inspiring story for anyone in a troubled marriage, battling addiction, or otherwise seemingly far from God. Press play and be amazed at what God can do.
Helpful links:
Tweeny's book, Nothing Broken, Nothing Missing
Lion and the Lamb song, Crystal Lewis
Power of a Praying Wife, Stormie Omartian
Alcoholism, where to get help:
Teen Challenge adults too
Focus on the Family addiction resources
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OneWay Ministries
Welcome to One80. Transforming testimonies from next door to across the globe. Be amazed at how God works to bring people to himself. Share today's One80 with a friend. It might be the best news they hear today.
Tweeny Randall:I could not imagine this could be possible. And I don't believe it would be possible. I know it wouldn't be possible without Jesus. So Jesus is the center of my heart.
Margaret Ereneta:Thanks for coming back to Tweeny's Total Transformation Part 2. Today we'll hear God moving in Tweeny's life when she starts to see herself through God's eyes. So much healing. Be encouraged today.
Tweeny Randall:And I called Pastor Dale and I asked him if I could see him. I just told him that I wasn't doing well. And he said to me, Are you reading your Bible, Tweeny? And you know what? That was something so simple, but no one had really asked me that question. And I said no. So after those two words of wisdom, I joined a Bible study. I started reading my Bible, and the Word of God became alive to me. And I would say that was where the One80 change happened in me, is when I started reading the word of God. And God would meet me every single morning in my place of need. So that it was like literally he was alive and he was speaking to me through his word.
Tweeny Randall:And I began to get stronger and stronger. And then there was a ministry at our church called Faith and Hope. And uh an elder at the church, Frank McGraw, he asked me to be a small group leader. And I remember saying to him, I can't be a small group leader, I'm a brand new Christian. And he said, Says who? So I was afraid to be a leader. I think that was something very important to get my mind off of my pain, like serving the Lord in the midst of your suffering. There's something so powerful about that. So when I started reading the word of God, that was when I started to see myself the way God sees me.
Tweeny Randall:And I would say that is where my healing happened. Is I started to define myself through a loving God instead of through man, instead of through how my husband had treated me and all the men before that. I started to see myself through God's eyes. Like what he had written in the Bible, I had to receive by faith that it was about me. You know, so like when Ephesians, I think it's 210, where he says, I call you my masterpiece. I would meditate on scriptures like that. Like he calls me his masterpiece. Like a masterpiece is something so glorious, you know, like we we we can't even wrap our minds around a masterpiece. Or in Song of Songs, where I'm, you know, he calls me his beloved. You know, so for me, I just chose to believe in the scriptures that they were written for me personally. And I started to see myself through God's eyes, and that's how I began to heal.
Margaret Ereneta:Next, Tweeny shares about that healing and how that started to unfold in her life.
Tweeny Randall:I haven't touched cigarettes or alcohol in 22 years. It stopped with the Holy Spirit speaking to me about how our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. But it was like the Holy Spirit started speaking to me about I don't want you drinking. This is not good for you, this is not healthy. And then me crying out to him, I don't know how to quit. I'm so scared, you know. And in just him saying, We're just gonna do it cold turkey. And I remember when I quit smoking cigarettes, I put it on the care and communication card at church, and I just wanted everyone praying for me. And the first day, um, so you know, I got rid of all my cigarettes, and then the first day I I had to go to bed at 7 p.m. because I knew I'd have a cigarette if I didn't.
Tweeny Randall:And then the next day was 8 p.m. And then, you know, I think by day four, and I, you know, it was truly the power of God in me. And the and with alcohol, I, you know, I it had to have been the Lord because it was easy. I just made a decision and I till this day I have had no desire to drink. I actually abore alcohol, no offense to people that drink, but I have just seen nothing but destruction with it, and so many drunk driving accidents, what my father was like, what I did in my marriage. I just don't understand alcohol at all. I feel like it's um the devil's pawn, but it was easy for me when I quit. I just quit and I never looked back. So there's no way to explain it. I have to believe it was just the power of Christ in me, you know. So I began to, you know, serve the Lord through ministry and um the leadership meetings. I mean, I was thrown in the ocean with spiritual giants. I mean, I just remember going to these leaders' meetings and just being overwhelmed because these were prayer warriors, you know, but it was such fantastic training for me.
Tweeny Randall:So I began to turn from my God, little G, Will, my husband, and turn to Jesus, the real God. And it was truly the word of God. And I remember so we were still separated, and I think it was maybe a year later, Pastor Dale said, you know, I think we should have a meeting with Will, see where he's at, you know. And so we did, and he was still really out in the left field. And so it was after that that um I was being counseled to start a divorce. Many people in my life were telling me to start a divorce, and in my flesh, I knew it was a logical thing to do because it was a year later and he was not changed, one drop. And um, I remember going to a brother Frank and saying to him, I think I should start a divorce.
Tweeny Randall:And he said, But Tweenie, what is the Father saying to you? And that was another concept that I had not been taught yet. And I go, What do you mean? And he goes, What is God, the father, saying to you? And I said, I don't know. And then he said, You need to seek him. No one has the answers except him. And I was like, seek him? Well, what does that mean? And he said, You just sit down, you get still, and you ask him for wisdom and guidance. So that was the beginning of how I began to like hear how the Holy Spirit speaks to us and the word and the combination. So everything I would read every day, words like uh patience, reconciliation, restoration, redemption. I remember the one verse in Ezekiel 36 about the dry bones becoming live again. Just like I began to see a pattern, and I thought, Lord, you're telling me to not get a divorce and to wait, even though my situation seemed completely impossible. I mean, he was still out in Lalaland.
Margaret Ereneta:Not only has God done amazing work in Tweeny's life, but what he's going to do in their marriage is miraculous, and you just have to listen to the rest and join the ride with us.
Tweeny Randall:I was so hooked to smoking. Sounds so funny now, but I loved smoking cigarettes. It sounds disgusting, but I'm being honest. And the Lord was, I don't know, he just started speaking to me. I quit smoking, I quit drinking, and I quit dressing bad. I remember going into my closet with four of those big, huge trash bags, you know. And I uh threw out every low-cut top, every short dress, skirt, you know, tight, anything that would attract a man, I threw it. It was four garbage bags, and I did not give it to Goodwill. I threw it in the garbage bag because I thought I don't want anybody wearing this.
Tweeny Randall:And God started to really change. I used to swear a lot, and he started convicting me of my words. And it was a beautiful thing. And so as I started to turn and really made Jesus not only savior, but Lord, I believe something started to change. And Will, I don't know how that happened, my husband, Will. And um, I remember one day the Lord said to me, I want you to completely surrender your marriage to me and your husband to me, and I will take care of him. And all I want you to do now is to pray. And he said to me, The only way you can love him now is through your prayers. So that was when I told my husband that I wanted a no-contact separation. And again, I need to back up because after a year he pretended to have changed, and I let him move back in. And we actually renewed our vows, and uh then I found out he was still in contact with that woman, and then I asked him to leave again, but this time I was a believer.
Tweeny Randall:It was so different. I had a peace and I asked him to leave because the Lord showed me that I he didn't want me living with a double-minded man. So we actually had two separations, but a total was 18 months. So the second time when he moved out, I asked him because the Holy Spirit was leading me, and and the Lord told me no context, no context. So we did not, I did not see my husband. I did not talk to him for I believe it was 10 or 11 months. And I just got stronger and stronger in those 10 and 11 months. That is when, like, I started serving in faith and hope. I joined a prayer group with my neighbor Maureen across the street, and we would go every Friday and we would pray the heavens down, and you know, God, it told me, I just want you to pray for him. Maureen and I, we would get together every week and we started praying prayers out of Stormy O'Martian's book, Hour of a Praying Wife. I I love that your podcast is called 180 because that was truly what happened to me when I gave my life to Jesus was through the word, through connecting with the Holy Spirit, through community, prayer. Those are the ways that I actually did a 180 and just became transformed. Jesus Christ transformed me from the inside out. And I knew I loved my husband, I knew I wanted to save my marriage, I knew I wanted to save my family, but I also knew I didn't want him the way he was. That God, God, my heavenly father, did not want me to be with him. And so that gave me a lot of confidence, you know, like there was just a total peace and surrender, you know. And there were scriptures like Proverbs 3, 5, and 6, trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will set your path straight. And so on the hard days, I can remember when I, you know, I missed him, I missed my husband, I was tired of being a single mom, and I felt sad for my kids. I remember on those days, I would literally just recite that scripture over and over and out loud.
Margaret Ereneta:I love this next part of Tweeny's story because you can just see the word of God coming alive in her and the transformation that happens.
Tweeny Randall:Over and over, and each time I'd say it, I'd get stronger and stronger and stronger. And it was amazing to me how the word of God just became truly my sword, my weapon, you know, to fight the spiritual battle that I was in. And so what happened next is the the woman Linda that had came over and told me about her church and Stephen Ministers, one day she said to me, My husband Ed is wondering if he could reach out to Will and could he get his number? And I thought, why not? And she said, Okay, thanks.
Tweeny Randall:S o I gave her Will's number, thinking, Oh, Will will never respond. But you see, this is how the power of prayer works. And so Ed reached out to Will. And I have no idea how God did this, but Will met him for coffee. And um, apparently Ed invited him to a Moody Bible men's conference. So the day of the men's conference, I was just like, Lord, if you could just put a crack in him. I mean, he was so gone. He literally thought he had met the love of his life and that he'd married the wrong woman. Three children later. I think it was we'd been married 14 years at the time, can't remember.
Tweeny Randall:But so Maureen, Linda, and I, we decided we were going to fast and pray. Not together, just at our own individual homes. And I remember that day thinking there's no way he's gonna go, he's gonna make an excuse. But I kept believing by faith. And um, Maureen said, uh, you want me to go drive in the parking lot and see if his car is there? Because they they took a bus from the parking lot. And I said, sure. And she went and his car was there. So that told me he had gone. So we fasted and prayed. I had no idea because we were having no contact. And the next day, he was asking me if I would meet him for dinner. And I remember because I prayed, I prayed about everything. And I was like, Lord, should I go? And the Lord was like, Yes.
Tweeny Randall:I remember driving that evening and talking to Maureen on the phone, and I said, I bet he's gonna tell me he wants to file for divorce. And Maureen was like, Well, then if that's what's gonna happen, that's what's gonna happen. We're gonna just trust the Lord because God's already told you he doesn't want you to be with a double-minded man. And so um, driving there, I had so much peace. I can't even tell you. It was like total surrender.
Tweeny Randall:I was like, My life is yours, God, and if it's divorce, it's divorce. And so I get there, and to my surprise, he's like a nervous, like kid, and he's like acting very different. And I was like in my head going, what is going on with him? And he tells me that he went to this conference, and um, apparently, you know, there were 3,000 men there. And he said he thought, Oh my gosh, what have I committed to? What am I doing here? Well, it was the last preacher, and it was Pastor James McDonald. He had a story, he started his message with a story about a man that would come to his church with his family, and uh then they stopped coming. And I don't know how many months later this man started coming with another woman. And he said he was intrigued, and so after one of the services, he went up to the man and he said, you know, hi. And the man said, Oh, Pastor, Pastor, I want to introduce you to the love of my life. I'm divorcing my wife and marrying her.
Tweeny Randall:And Will said, 3,000 men in the room started chuckling. And he thought, What's so funny? Like he literally didn't get it. But then the next part of Pastor James McDonald's message was about legacy, and he shared about what kind of legacy do you want to leave your children? And I wasn't there, but it was powerful enough that that crack that I wanted in Will happened and something broke in him. And he will tell you that he was like jello, weeping, it's not coming out of his nose, he said, and shaking. And apparently, you know, Ed laid hands on him and they they prayed over him. So back to the restaurant, he says to me, So I want you to know that I have broken it off with this woman, and I've told her I never want to see her again. And I'm wondering if you will give me another chance and if we could work it out. While I'm inside, I'm praying internally. Lord, what do you want me to say? Lord, what do you want me to say? Because that's kind of how I'm living my life now. Like I'm not just moving in what I want to do.
Tweeny Randall:And the Lord says to me, tell him you want to think about it and pray about it. And that is like a brand new tweenie because it used to be Will would say jump and tweenie would say, How high, you know. So that's what I said. I said, Wow, um, I'd like to pray about it and think about it. And I think he was just totally shocked. And he was like, Yes, yes, of course, of course, you know, let me know. He also shared that he had gone to the church service in the morning service, not the one I go to, and had gone up for prayers and um broke down and, you know, repented. And it was like reality hit him, like God truly got a hold of him of what the deception he had been living in. So he had gotten prayers Sunday morning at church. He had actually, this was like a Monday evening, and so now he's telling me how he went to Pastor James McDonald's church because he wanted to meet with him.
Tweeny Randall:So, you know, really, God really got a hold of him. He had a wake-up call of the deception. So after that, you know, I prayed about it and I felt like the Lord said to me, Oh, because one of his requests was, could we start with going with meeting my therapist? I guess he had been seeing a therapist too, a Christian counselor. And so I went home and I did pray about it and I prayed a lot about it, and I felt like the Lord said, No, no, no meeting with his therapist. Why don't you tell him he can come to church on Sundays? And after church, he can take the children out for lunch, but not you. So that actually happened for three months. I told him, I said, you know, I don't want to meet your counselor, but you can come to church with us on Sundays, and um I'm gonna cry again. But I said, But I want to remind you, we're not we're not one big happy family, so don't try to pretend like we are. You can sit between us, like don't sit with me.
Margaret Ereneta:Did you get that? It's so cool to hear how the power of the Holy Spirit transforms Tweeny to stop repeating the pattern she grew up with. And she's not going to fake that they're a happy-go-lucky family. She's going to walk in Spirit and truth with the Lord. So cool to see.
Tweeny Randall:So it would be Will and the three kids, and then me. And then you can take them out to lunch. And um, please don't put me on the spot and invite me. So that's how we what we did for three months, and he came every single Sunday. And um, it was about three months later, it was one Sunday, and the Holy Spirit, the Lord just said to me, Today go to lunch with him. And so after church, I just said, Hey, can I join you guys for lunch? And um I will never forget that day because I remember we went to an Indian restaurant.
Tweeny Randall:The kids were ecstatic. I mean, it was the first time we had been a family in a long time, but I had so much peace, you know, there was no more fear. I had no fear, I had no worries, no anxieties. I was just letting the Holy Spirit lead me. And so we had a really nice time. And so after that, I believe we decided to meet with the counselor. I mean, I was just letting the Lord lead me.
Tweeny Randall:And so we started the slow process of reconciliation, and it was very slow. So for like another, say, three months, we met with his counselor once a week, and then, you know, decided to let him move in, but not in the same bedroom. And then it was another three, you know, so it was a very, but it was all led by the Holy Spirit. And then it was, you know, slowly back together in the bedroom, and then finally reconciliation was, you know, complete. And I remember there's a picture of us, I believe it was either Mother's Day or Father's Day, but it was a special day, and and that was the day the first time we had, you know, slept in the same bed as husband and wife in probably over two years.
Tweeny Randall:And it was when we began living like husband and wife and as a family. And, you know, that was, you know, 22, 23 years ago. Of course, there's so much more to my story. You know, when trust is broken to this level, it's not something you just flip a switch and get over, but it's what my book is about. I have written a book and looking forward to helping other marriages because I feel like the Lord took me down a journey that's there for others. You know, it's not just for me, it's for others, but it it does require uh surrendered and lordship of Jesus Christ. And that is what I would say is where and how my marriage works for me because of the lack of trust. You know, people ask me all the time, do you how do you trust him? And I always say, I don't trust him, but I trust my God, you know, and I know that the Lord will put in front of me anything that needs to be put in front of me.
Tweeny Randall:And I know that he'll lead me and guide me, and he does. So we are getting ready to celebrate our 38-year wedding anniversary, and we are living the sweetest life right now. I could not imagine this could be possible, and I don't believe it would be possible. I know it wouldn't be possible without Jesus. So Jesus is the center of my heart, he's the center of our marriage, and I continue to be a prayer warrior for my husband, for my marriage, for my children, my grandchildren. And I just continue to believe in a God of the impossible and the God of miracles, you know, and that is my passion is to share that with the world. And so thank you for letting me have this opportunity to share the power of Jesus Christ if we allow him. God has a much sweeter plan for me, my husband, and the lineage we are going to leave behind. And that's what gets me so happy.
Tweeny Randall:So I do want to end with the scripture that was a promise, you know, given to me during my darkest day, that is another promise fulfilled, and I touched on it earlier. But the scripture is Ezekiel 36, verses 25 through 27, that say, Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart and new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new obedient heart, and I will put my spirit in you, so you will obey my laws and do whatever I command.
Tweeny Randall:That is like so near and dear to me. I probably just want to share also that to the glory of God, like our eldest son, when all of this happened, he uh he became extremely angry, and a darkness came over him, and he became a delinquent, and the police were always coming over to our house, and he was just doing bad things, like trying to light the forest on fire and throwing rocks at cars driving by. And we had a couple of deliverance prayers over him.
Tweeny Randall:And I guess what I want to share is that God didn't just heal me, he healed my marriage, but he, my three children, Roman, Nolan, and Nikki, they love Jesus Christ with all their mind, body, spirit, and soul. And they are having children now. I'm getting ready to welcome our third grandchild, and they are raising them up in the ways of the Lord. You know, when I look back to Pastor James McDonald's message, you know, legacy. Legacy is such an important thing and what we are going to leave. And I think of, you know, because of the choices Will and I both made, because of Christ, because Christ moved in our lives, you know, now we will leave a legacy of Jesus Christ and faith, you know, and that is the most beautiful thing. I mean, there is no greater joy than that.
Margaret Ereneta:Thanks for listening today. Check out our show notes to find Tweeny's website. Also, our show notes have a ton of information. If you're looking for help on marriage trouble, substance abuse, or Steven Ministers, that's all in our show notes, too. You find those by selecting I or more in your favorite pod player.
Announcer:180 is brought to you by One Way Ministries. Exalt Christ, advance His gospel.
